Job description

Finance Operations provides financial oversight, transactional process delivery and financial reporting for the business. The  Senior Financial Reporting Accountant supports the delivery of high quality, timely reporting for group, management, and statutory purposes. The role is responsible for ensuring compliance with external financial reporting requirements including IFRS and local tax and statutory laws & regulations. This role will be responsible for problem solving and recommending solutions to the Financial Controller for technical and judgmental transactions to ensure the Business Unit aligns to internal polices & controls and the relevant external accounting and statutory frameworks. This role needs to be proactively engaged to interpret and apply changes in local statutory accounting rules or other laws & regulations applicable to the local Business unit.

The role will be required to delegate, coach, supervise and review/approve the outputs of the 'Reporting Accountants' which support this role.

The  Senior Financial Reporting Accountant will also provide support for statutory and tax compliance activities for the markets they are accountable and ensure that all R2R activities are executed in accordance with S&N MAP and SOx control frameworks. This will include monitoring and optimisation of activities currently performed, review and approval of all relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and identification and migration of further activities as appropriate.

Role responsibilities

• Ensure that transactions are documented, in compliance with group standards (including the Minimum Acceptable Practices) and, where relevant, Sarbanes Oxley requirements.
• In combination with the Finance Controller, monitor, assess and implement changes to comply with external tax and statuary reporting and accounting requirements.
• Responsible for high quality, timely reporting for group and statutory purposes and providing ad-hoc analysis and decision support to the business.
• Participation in the annual Budgeting and quarterly Forecasting cycles utilising Hyperion (SNHFM) and SAP or MS AX.
• Accountable for balance sheet integrity and reconciliations, to safeguard assets and to ensure the optimal use of resources across the business; and to ensure that any ageing of balances is fully investigated and resolved.
• Support and implement continuous improvement initiatives e.g. process standarisation and business efficiencies, with the aim to lower cost, improve service and reduce compliance risk.
• Build and maintain a strong working relationship with the transactional accounting teams.
• Manage the requests from external and internal auditors, other advisors and relevant country Authorities.
• Assess and implement changes to comply with internal changes to the business or S&N accounting environment.

Ideal candidate requirements

• Degree level qualification & Professional qualification
• Part qualification (i.e ACA / ACCA / CPA /CA / CMA or equivalent)
• A minimum of 5 years post qualified experience, either in global accounting practice or in industry
• Must have fluency in English and German
• Strong technical accounting knowledge and have working knowledge, expertise and experience in reporting under IFRS, local statuary requirements.
• Capable to prepare monthly and annual direct and indirect tax returns. Ensuring that tax returns are filed in accordance with tax regulations.
• Experience of collaborating in virtual teams; strong inter-personal skills.
• Demonstrates experience in analysing financial data, drawing sound conclusions and developing proposals/solutions.
• Must be able to demonstrate a track record of success in working with diverse stakeholders
• Must have the ability to assess, react quickly and decisively to problems, taking tough decisions where needed or escalating issues as appropriate.

Nice to have expectations

• Relevant industry experience advantageous, ideally in Medical Devices or Pharmaceuticals
• Candidates with past experience in one of the following roles would be desirable - Commercial Accounting, Legal Entity Reporting (including production and delivery of the accounts consolidation processes and complex transactions and associated accounting), Supply Chain Accounting (standard costs, variances, internal sales)
• Experience of SAP / Hyperion / TM1 / Cognos
• Experience of working in a large / listed entity
• Working knowledge and application of SOX control frameworks
• Experience of transition and transformation to an offshore Captive or BPO Transactional Finance operation

at Smith + Nephew we offer